Leslie ‘Pem’ Holliday and Pigeons Pem Holliday (1933-2013) was a lifelong resident of Skinningrove. His daughter Dawn has these recollections of her dad’s devotion to pigeons:After World War Two, dad still lived at Cliff Terrace but by then he was working on ‘the belt’ at the local steelworks and keeping pigeons. Corn was still […] more

Skinningrove Bonfire & Fireworks Display 2017 Saturday 4 November saw one of Skinningrove’s best ever shows as spectacular fireworks illuminated the hillsides and a bonfire that represented pigeon fancying in the local area. There’s been a theme to all the bonfires in the village since the first one in 1982; this year it […] more

UP NORTH COMBINE: SKINNINGROVE WINNERS The Up North Combine is an amalgamation of pigeon clubs and federations, founded in 1905 and governed by the North of England Homing Union. Members of the combine’s federations range from Berwick to Staithes. Here’s a roll of honour showing the owners of pigeons from Skinningrove that have won […] more

In the Seventeenth century, the Alum mining industry began at near-by Hummersea. Skinningrove thus became increasingly busy with horse and cart traffic passing across the scar (or wave -cut platform) , to Hummersea.

Traces of this can still be seen, with deep cuts worn into the rocks, below Hummersea cliffs

Alum became important as a chemical for fixing dyes in textiles and in the tanning of leather. It was also used in the manufacture of parchment, for hardening candles and fire-proofing. From the 1851 census return,we know that a number of alum miners/labourers and even manufacturers, were resident in Skinningrove. The sandstone used for building the hamlet was possibly a by-product of the alum mines. Layers of sandstone having had to be removed by quarrying, before the alum could be reached. This then was the first encroachment of industry of Skinningrove. This industry lasted well over 200 years, coming to an end in 1870, when the invention of aniline dyes in Germany rendered the use of alum as a mordant in the wool industry redundant.

Here are two photos taken in the early 1950s on Deepdale Lane (known locally as Wood Road) between Skinningrove and Loftus. One of the photos shows Bill Andrew and, in the pram, his daughter Irene who told the history group: “My dad was born and bred in Skinningrove, as were my grandparents and great-grandparents. I’ve spent many happy hours on ‘Saltburn side’ and like to walk there when I try and visit every year and remember happy times. My dad’s cousin is Mrs Teasdale on New Company Row; my great-grandparents’ name was Harker”.

The photos show some features of local industry at that time, including the aerial cable that took shale from Loftus Ironstone Mine to the tip beside Deepdale Lane. The structure above Bill and Irene was there to protect pedestrians from any shale that might fall from the overhead buckets. In the distance is Skinningrove Iron & Steel Works and part of the mine can be seen below. The zig zag railway is also visible on one of the photos.

If you have any archive images or documents of the Skinningrove area that you wish to share with others, please contact Skinningrove History Group.